Are you starting to get addicted to shopping? Remember AGNES Sis!!

A: Let’s exercise now!

Sport is not only a matter of health. In the context of shopping addiction, exercise is a healthy distraction that breaks the impulse cycle. When the urge to shop appears, the body needs a channel to relieve tension.

Many health sources recommend replacing stress relief with sports activities so that the urge to shop does not become the only “sedative”. You can start doing simple exercise such as walking for 30 minutes, sit-ups 50 times, or strength training at home. The target is not to become an athlete. The target is that when the impulse comes, you have other choices besides shopping.

G: Use time to learn knowledge

Compulsive shopping behavior often thrives in unstructured free time. Filling your time with studying art or a foreign language rewards your brain with courage to proceed, rather than transactions.

This is also a form of subtle resistance to consumer culture, where your identity is not determined by the goods you own, but by the competencies you build.

N: Raise impulse control ability

This is where the crux of the problem lies, namely impulse control. Many medical sources emphasize that compulsive shopping is related to difficulty controlling buying impulses, and can lead to long-term problems if left unchecked.

Realistic impulse control exercises:

1. Make a shopping list and stick to your commitment not to buy off the list

2. Avoid paylaterif it is a “trigger”, prioritize the money in your wallet

3. Don’t shop alone if you tend to be impulsive, take someone who can remind you

4. Make a 24 hour pause before buying the item you want (delay decision rule)

For cases of shopping addiction that are already severe, going to a psychiatrist is often mentioned as an approach used to help with treatment.

E: Empathy for fellow human beings

Empathy is a moral brake. When the urge to shop starts to appear, try changing the question from “What do you want to buy?” to “Who can you help today?”.

Some sources suggest using money for prosocial things (for example buying items to donate) as part of building healthy shopping patterns.

S: Gratitude must be increased

Gratitude is not just about faith. Gratitude is the mental skill of feeling enough. Shopping addiction is often driven by worldly urges. Gratitude changes human perspective from lack to sufficiency.

Simple practice:

1. Write down 3 things you are most grateful for every night

2. Before checkout, write down 3 items that you already have and are still functioning well

3. Evaluate, is what you want to buy a necessity, or a mental escape?

CLOSURE

A strong woman is not a woman who is never tempted by discounts. A strong woman is one who is able to tell the truth that she is not okay, and she does not want to lie to herself through transactions.

If you start to realize your excessive shopping patterns, that’s already a big step. The rest is a small consistency. Shifting sources of reward from shopping to exercise, knowledge, impulse control, empathy, and gratitude.

If it is disrupting your life, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. This is not a mental weakness, it is a behavioral and emotional problem that can be trained and managed.

SOURCE

One Hundred Percent Male Y*ut*be Account (but adapted to a female style)

AI Which. (July 27, 2025). Know the types of shopping addiction. Editorial Team.

Alodokter. (nd). (i)Shopping addiction can be a sign of mental health disorders. Alodokter.

Halodoc. (nd). Be careful, shopping addiction can be a sign of a mental disorder. Hellodoc.